LINGUIST List 7.1088

Wed Jul 31 1996

Disc: Expletive Infix

Editor for this issue: T. Daniel Seely <dseelyemunix.emich.edu>

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1. Timothy Light, Re: 7.1068, Disc: Expletive Infix summary (Addendum)

Message 1: Re: 7.1068, Disc: Expletive Infix summary (Addendum)

I trust that the authors are aware of Studies Out
on Left Field, published 20 or so years ago, edited by Zwicky and ???


I agree with the sense of aritificiality of fan-fucking-natic. I think that
the normally rapid-speech version is SLIGHTLY better fan-fuckin'-natic, but
I think that I have mostly heard "fucking fanatic". Your suggestion that
alliteration might simply not belong in these kinds of insertions sounds
right to me. Do the rules for British "bloomin'" insertion work the same
way, i.e. are they part of a single paradigmatic set? 

Combining profane terms is also interesting. I had a friend years ago who
always exclaimed "Shittagoddam". The epinthetic vowel has always intrigued
me as it seems to be more than phonological in function.

TIM LIGHT